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F. E. MILLER.

EAR PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 24,1918. 1 ,305,828. Patented June 3,1919.

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O O O O F. E. MILLER.

EAR PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 191B.

1 305,828. Patented June 3, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IN VE/V 70/? 1 1'. [r137 Miller rron/ver FRANK E. MILLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EAR-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June a, 1919.

Application filed April 24, 1918. Serial No. 280,422.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK E. MIILER,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Ear-Protector, set forth in the following specification.

My invention relates to the protection of the human ear. In heavy artillery practice, the ear drums of the gunners are always endangered. To understand the reason for the large number of fractured ear drums suffered by those in the neighborhood of detonations, it should be borne in mind that the human tympanum or car drum, in addition to its auditory functioning, constitutes a physical partition between the cavity of the outer ear, known as the external meatus, and the tympanic cavity. The tympanic cavity is substantially completely inclosed, although it is connected, by a small tubular duct, known asthe Eustachian tube, with the mouth cavity. This tube, in its pneumatic functioning, is intended to eflect a balance in air pressure between the external meatus and the tympanic cavity. This functioning is effective when air pressures vary gradually. However, in the case of detonations produced by heavy gunnery, the sound wave is of such great amplitude as to constitute practically a traveling approximately instantaneous violent pressure change in the atmosphere. When this pressure change strikes the external meatus, the Eustachian tube completely fails to maintain the balance in pressure necessary. It is to be noted that gunners, in some instances, at the instant of firing", hold their mouths open in an attempt to facilitate the necessary equalizing in pressure between the aforementioned inner and outer ear cavities. This, however, has not been successful.

It is an object of my invention to provide mechanism which will annul the violent and sudden change of pressure ordinarily to be experienced in the vicinity of the outer ear at the time of the detonation. It is a further object of the invention, while annulling the injurious effect of a concussion, to permit the wearer to hear and perceive sounds of speech amplitude. It is still a further object at the same time preferably to hermetically seal the external meatus.

The above will be better understood by reference to the illustrative embodiments of my invention described in the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which like characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures. In the draw1ngs Figure 1 is a vertical section, partl in diagram, of' a preferred embodiment o my invention, in combination with a human ear;

Fi 2 is a plan view of the stiffening memli r embodied in the mechanism of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fractional section corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing a modification.

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, showing a second modification;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of (inv ear protectors as worn by a gunner; an

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view showing the latch mechanism for the attaching straps.

In the human ear A, shown in Fig. 1, 1 indicates the auricle, 2 the external meatus, 3 the tympanum or ear drum, and 4 the tympanic cavity. In the preferred embodiment of my invention, I shape the apparatus roughly to conform to the outline of the auricle and so as completely to cover the same. 5 is a perforated sheet-metal plate having such desired contour and providing the strap attaching lugs 6 and 7, to which straps 8 and 9 may be secured in any approved manner. Molded about the plate 5 is a pad of vulcanized rubber 10, pref era'bly passing through the perforations 11 and formed into a flat wall 12 on the external side of the structure and into a plug 13 on 'the opposite side, emerging into a wall 14 roughly approximating the shape of the auricle. This structure, comprising essentially the portion overlying the auricle 1 such as the parts 5 and 10 in Fig. 1, and 10' in Fig. 4, constitute what I term the concussion shield. In the structure of Fig. 1 the plug 13 also serves as a functioning part of such a shield. To the rim of the wall 12 is attached the rim or flange 15 of resilient rubber having one or more small perforations 16 and providing a mounting 17 for a resiliently movable outer wall preferably in the form of a diaphragm 18. The diaphragm 18 is preferably my cusp diaphragm such as has been described in my 1Pgalt pnt No. 1,220,669, granted March 27, The rubberfiangc 15 is designed so that,

upon a detonation, the diaphragm 18 may yield an appreciable distance inwardly i. 6,, to the left,-as viewed in Fig. 1, which causes air to be expelled from the perforations 18 and dissipates the energy of the violent sound wave or concussion by the work doneby collapsing the rubber flange and expel-- straps are tight about the wearers head, but

by pulling up on the latch 20, the latch will pass through the bail 21 until the 101122 engages the bail. This efi'eots the loosening of the strap so that, the ear protectors stand out sufliciently for the receiving of commands.

In Fig. 3 the apparatus to the left of the structure 10 is to be understood as identical with that of the form shown in Fig. 1. In this modification, however, the flange 15 is made of textile fabric and the diaphragm 18 is pressed outwardly by the spiral spring 30. The interstices in the fabric permit the escape ofair.

The modification of Fig. 4 comprises a metal box 31, vulcanized to the concussion shield member 10 which has strap attaching lugs 6 and 7. The walls of this box have perforations 16'. The movable outer wall in the form of the diaphragm 18 is attached by the hinge 32 to the rim of the box opening 33 and is pressed outwardly by the spiral spring 34 stayed by the stem 35.

What I claim and What I desire to secure byUnited-States Letters Patent is 1. An instrument for protecting the ear against damage by sound concussions comprising a concussion shield of massive, imperforate, rigid construction for covering substantially the entire auricle; and a resiliently yieldable outer wall conforming substantially in contour with that of said shield andmeans securing said well to said.

shield in an outwardly spaced positionl'and permittingthe lateral escape of the air in the space between said wall and said shield when said wall moves in cussion. 2. An instrument for protecting the huresponse, to aconman ear against damage by sound-concussionscomprising, a rigid closure for the external meatus; a rigid barrier for coveri the 'auricle; a movable diaphragm' outwardly from said barrier; and a yieldable rim mounting said diaphragm upon said barrier.

3. An instrument for protecting the human ear against damage by sound-concussions comprising, a rigid closure for the ex-' ternal meatus; a rigid barrier for covering the auricle; a movable. dished diaphragm spaced outwardly from said barrier; and a yieldable rim mounting said diaphragm upon said barrier.

4. An instrument for protecting the human ear against damage by sound-concussions comprislng, a rigid closure for the external meatus; a rigid barrier for covering the auricle; a movable eccentrically dished diaphragm spaced outwardly from said barrier; and a yieldable rim mounting said diaphragm upon said barrier.

5. An instrument for protecting the ear against damage by sound-concussions comprising an extensive concussion shield of rigid construction covering substantially the entire auricle and external meatus; an inwardly yieldable'outer wall overlying, conforming in shape with and spaced apart from said shield; a laterally vented yieldable flange securing said wall to said shield and forming an air space and structure-to convert energy from a concussionintoharmless work; and means for securing said shield in position about and overlying the auri cle in sound sealing relation thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, this 25th day of March, 1918.

FRANK E. MILLER.- 

